Wagon-brake



( No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

L. L. JAMES.

WAGON BRAKE.

N0. 271,855. Patented Feb. 6, 1883.

7/ nedoyy l'nveni-off:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. L. JAMES.

WAGON BRAKE. No. 271,855. Patented Feb.6,1883.

llllllllllllllllillIlllllllNIH!IlII U ITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LYoUneUs-L. JAMES, or MEDORA, INDIANA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,855, dated February 6, 1883.

' Application filed Sepetmber 29, 1882. (X model.) i

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYCURGUS L. JAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medora, in the county of Jackson and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Brakes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which iorm apart of this specifieation.

This invention relates to brakes for farmwagons with or without wagon-beds, liable to be worked in roads and fields obstructed by mud or stubble; and its objects are to furnish asimpleandeflicientrublock,cheaply madeand repaired, and with a quick and wide throwoti' from the wheels when released. These objects are attained chiefly by means of sundry levers and a flat spring, for the purposes of applying and removing the brakes.

In the. accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, in perspective, of a farm-wagon, showingvario'us parts of theinvention; Fig.2,

adetached rear view of parts of the ratchet-bar and hand-lever, showing how the latter is held in place upon the former; and Fig. 3 a bottom view of thehinder part of a wagon, showing the mechanism more immediately connected with the application and removal of the brakes.

A is the right-hand side of a wagon-bed.

B is a curved metal bar. strongly bolted to the bed,with fiat projeetin g guide formed thereon, b, provided with teeth I) along the forward part of the upper edge.

O is a hand-lever, pivoted at bottom to the horseshoe-bar D, which is also strongly bolted to the wagon-bed. To the front and upper part of this lever is pivoted the latch c, and

lower down, and to the inner side of the lever,

is pivoted the pawl c. As the lever is pushed forward for the purpose of applying the brakes, the pawl falls by itsown weight upon the edge of the guide I), and is ready to engage with the teeth as soon asthey are reached. These teeth, having a forward set, hold the pawl firmly until it is raised clear of them by closing the latch upon the lever by a grasp of the hand. The connecting-rod E is formed at its forward end into two arms, 0, between which is the roller 0, held in place by a bolt passing through arms and roller. The object of this roller is to increase the thro w-ofl' of the brakes irom the wheels by moving from the lower to the upper of the projections, 0 formed upon the hand-lever, and so, in effect, lengthening the connecting-rod; but where so much throw-oft is not necessary the roller may beomitted and the connecting-rod bolted directly to the hand-lever through the eye 0 F is the brake-lever, attached to the frame beneath the wagon-bed by eyebolts f, so as to turn to and fro in the eyes thereof. This le ver is attached to the connecting-rod by the long arm G, which is pivoted to the end of the rod. Short arms f are formed upon the brake-leverin line with the arm G. Pivoted to these are lever-hooks f which operate the brake-bar H by means of the eyebolts It. flat or strap spring I, which is bolted to the brake-bar frame K at one end and loose at the other, gives a quick throw-off to the brakebar when the pawl is released from the ratchet. A claw, L, is riveted to the inner face of the hand-lever G to hold the latter close to the face of the guide I) as the lever traverses the arc of the ratchet-bar.

When the wagon is to be used without its bed the connecting-rod E will be disconnected from the arm G and, with the'wagon-loed and ratchet-bar and attachments, laid aside. A long wooden lever can then be attached to the arm G, the other end extending beyond the frontof the wagon, so that the driver, mounted on one of the draft-horses, can operate the brake by pulling the wooden lever and leaving the flat spring to throw off the brakes when the pole is released.

, I am aware that curved ratchet-bars, handlevers, latches. and gravity-pawls, as also reciprocating bars, arms, and brakebars operating beneath the wagon-bed, have heretofore been variously used for applying, releasing, and securing rublocks to the wheels of wag- The.

ons, and hence I do not claim them, broadly.

ble beds, the combination consisting of the brake-lever F, long arm G, short arms f,in line with said long arm, brake-bar H, operating in the frame K, lever-hooks f and flat spring I, each and every part of said combination being detached from the wagon-bed, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

LYOURGUS L. JAMES.

Witn essesi NOAH S. WEDDLE, WILLIAM HAMPREN. 

